Sorry, team Black: looks like even Rhaenyra Targaryen herself admits Greens were in the right this time.
Yes, we know, House of the Dragon season 1 has long ended, leaving us in the Westeros-less void, waiting for the second season to finally premiere and take the Dance of the Dragons even further.
However, the fact that the Game of Thrones prequel is currently on a hiatus does not prevent fans from keeping up the debates; in fact, the long break only inspires them to continue arguing.
It’s not like the endless “Alicent vs. Rhaenyra” discussion will be resolved on the House of the Dragon subreddit one day.
But it seems that the Greens supporters have an unexpected ally with them: Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen of the Blacks.
Remember that controversial House of the Dragon scene when Alicent’s son Aemond lost an eye after fighting Rhaenyra’s kids over the fact that he claimed Vhagar shortly after her previous rider, Laena Velaryon, died in labour?
Alicent was demanding that King Viserys do something about the maiming of her son; Rhaenyra, meanwhile, was getting all defensive and refused to admit any wrongdoing.
D’Arcy’s take on the whole situation? Alicent was “f**king right.”
“Someone’s lost an eye! I’m so amazed every time Paddy basically tells you to let it go. Simultaneously, Rhaenyra is playing quite a basic game: Lie hard, do not back down, and weaponize this word ‘treason,'” D’Arcy told Vulture in a 2022 interview.
Their co-star Olivia Cooke, who portrays Alicent, couldn’t help but agree: according to her, the Hightower queen “f**king explodes” because of “being gaslit.”
Even though Team Black certainly believes Rhaenyra could not do anything but stand with her children until the end, even D’Arcy has their sympathy “fully with Alicent.”
However, Rhaenyra fans believe that Emma was simply acknowledging Alicent’s anger as a mother, and not actually siding with Team Green.
House of the Dragon actors famously prefer not to explicitly side with any of their characters; after all, the Game of Thrones prequel is not particularly a “good vs. evil” story.
All characters are notoriously “morally grey,” and as both actors and fans acknowledge, the entire Black vs. Green debate looks more like a “pick your favorite war criminal” game.
The next round of that game might hit screens as soon as in 2024 on HBO Max.